Social Media Content You Need to Drop Now

A research in the UK revealed that despite the quick proliferation of social media use, many brands are yet to harness this platform to their advantage. Many companies are still at a loss on how to effectively share content on social media to market their services to customers.

Here are some interesting points from the same study:

29% of adults in the UK get frustrated when bombarded with too many updates.

28% of consumers were not pleased by social media content they see from different brands, stating that the posts sound more like sales pitch than actual updates.

27% of social media users were dissatisfied because the posts are impersonal and irrelevant to their needs.

20% of millennial customers, aged 18 to 34, find the promotions and contests endorsed by businesses either trivial or annoying.

56% of the interviewed social media users selected Facebook as the networking site they are most comfortable with.

The users are more likely to engage with a brand’s Facebook page than any other site.

24% of users favored Twitter as their platform of choice in engaging with companies.

17% of users preferred to communicate with brands through Instagram.

16% of consumers turn to a company’s YouTube channel for engagement.

The study engaged 2,000 consumers in the UK. It also discovered that the brands which fared well in social media engagement have the knack for targeting the right audience with the most relevant conversations.

The researchers who conducted the said investigation were fascinated to find that millennials prefer quality over quantity when it comes to updates from brands. The millennial market detests being spammed by posts but favor updates with an emotional impact. This led the researchers to believe that companies will rate better with social media users if they strategize their updates into storytelling posts.

Out of these findings, it is safe to say that some fads concerning social media marketing are nothing but noise.

Here are some social media content you need to drop now:

1.Hashtags on a holiday that has nothing to do with your brand

Unless you manage Taco Bell’s Twitter handle and have to hashtag #TacoTuesday, steer clear of jumping into the bandwagon of putting irrelevant hashtags of holidays on your posts. It’s a different case if your company is promoting a sale or an outreach program in the spirit of a specific holiday. But if you are just posting about a new blog entry on your site, refrain from stuffing your posts with unrelated hashtags.

2.Clickbait

Social media users are now all too familiar with this lure. It usually starts out with an intriguing statement and ends with phrases such as:

You won’t believe what happened next.

What she does after will shock you!

How he reacts will bring tears to your eyes.

Clickbait started out as an effective tactic to lure users into one’s preferred landing page. What company owners fail to realize is the mounting pessimism and suspicion that builds up among social media users. What’s more, when customers find that the update you posted was mere hype without any substance, your business will just look phony.

3. AMAs or Ask Me Anything

The founders of AMA created it with the noble intention of opening the lines of communication. It is a great idea in that it invites real fans into opening up to brands to air out their questions and concerns.

Yet, it’s easy to see how this concept can swiftly turn into the mouthpiece of social media trolls. AMA is a trend that has already fizzled out, as far as social media content is concerned.

Just think: customers with genuine concerns can still reach you through direct message, email, or the comments section.

It’s easy to get confused in managing your social profiles when the marketing trends today can come to a screeching halt tomorrow. Fortunately, finding virtual assistant services to manage your social content is easy. You can work with credible companies to connect you with the best social media manager for your business.

With these takeaways you learned today, your social media updates are sure to trend.

Guest Author: Catherine vanVonno, is the President and Executive Director of 20Four7VA, a global Virtual Assistant (VA) Service Provider. She holds a doctorate degree in Applied Statistics, Research Design and Program Evaluation from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and has over 10 years experience in facilitating evidence-based strategic planning, product development, brand management, legislative communications, and medical policy. She is married and has four children.